An Everlasting Paradise
by DimensionBaka17
Summary: A war has erupted between the Netherworld and the Heavens, and the only one who can end this devastating war is a Celestial Being name Kazuko. Kazuko sets out on an adventure to destroy all of the evil barriers the corrupted souls of the Netherworld have created on Earth. On her quest, she gains the aid of the powerful Lord of the West himself. An Everlasting Paradise awaits.
1. The War

**An Everlasting Paradise**

_**Author's Note: Yay! I feel so happy right now! I'm finally making an InuYasha fanfic! This story is going to be a Sesshomaru x OC. It is going to take place after they have defeated Naraku, so pretty much after the end of the series! Don't worry! I'm going to create another malicious villain to do malicious villainy stuff! So don't fret! DimensionBaka17 has got this! Oh, I also don't own InuYasha or any of its characters, even though I wish I did! **_

_**All rights go to their respective owners!**_

Chapter 1: The War

Run. That's all she could think of right now: run. She panted heavily, trying to fill her desperate lungs with oxygen as she stumbled through the darkened forest. The only light that allowed her to see was that of the eerie moon, as it hung silently above her. She couldn't stop now, she was so close. If she did stop, they would find her.

They would find her.

She shook her head to clear it of the dark thoughts that she was afraid were going to consume her. She needed to keep going; she couldn't let them win this war. She also couldn't die, not here…not alone. Her panting became heavier as she continued to stumble through the forest. Just as her vision began to blur, she saw a small human village in a clearing ahead of her. If she could just make it, just make it to the village, she would be safe. For now.

She managed to make it to the small clearing where the human village was located. No one was out-and-about during this dark hour; silent tears began to make their way down her cheeks as she collapsed in front of a small hut. She couldn't die, not now. If she did, it would be the end of the war.

They would win.

Her vision became more blurred as she looked up to see a priestess standing over her, a worried look on her expression. She saw others exit the hut just as her vision went as black as the night that surrounded them.

InuYasha and the others were sitting in Kaede's small hut, chatting the night away when they heard something stumbling through the village. They thought it was just some low-class demon waltzing its way through the village, too stupid to know where to go. Then they were startled by the loud _thud_ that emanated from outside the priestess's small hut.

Kaede got up quickly and made her outside to examine the situation. When she arrived outside her hut, she saw a woman collapsed on the ground in front of her. She hurriedly knelt down by the woman, only to see her slowly close her eyes. Kaede checked the mysterious woman's pulse. Good, she was still alive. She turned around to see InuYasha and everyone looking curiously at the mysterious woman on the ground. She was an odd one alright. Something they'd never seen before.

She wasn't human, that much they could tell. She had an odd aura, and an even more odd appearance. She had shoulder length golden hair, almost as radiant as the sun itself. In her hair were purple ribbons, tied in little bows. She wore a light blue kimono that was covered with the design of white flowers and clouds. Tying her kimono together was a purple sash that had some strange writing on it, along with many various symbols. And just like InuYasha, the mysterious woman wore no shoes. She only had four gold anklets around her left foot. She really was something they had never seen before.

"Quickly, we must bring her inside!" Kaede said as she hurried toward her hut. InuYasha scooped the woman off the ground and slung her over his shoulder. (They didn't trust Miroku enough around women.) He started to enter the hut when he accidently bumped the woman into a wall.

"InuYasha, be careful! We don't want to kill her _before_ we have the chance to save her!" Kagome lectured InuYasha as he gently laid the woman down on the straw mat Kaede set out.

"Stop nagging me! As if a small little bump would kill her!" InuYasha argued with Kagome, which earned him a well-deserved "sit" from Kagome. Now that InuYasha was unconscious on the floor as well, Kagome kneeled down next to Kaede as she looked at the woman.

"She's really pretty." Kagome thought aloud. It was true, the woman was indeed pretty. Of course, the fact that she was covered in dirt and all scratched up didn't exactly help her in the looks department. If she even looked pretty like this, then what would she look like when she was healed?

"Aye, she is a beautiful one. It is her simplicity that makes her beautiful. She isn't going out of her way to make herself beautiful. However, her beauty will be of no use to her if she is dead! Rin, please fetch me some medicinal herbs from the forest!" Kaede said as she already began tending to the woman's wounds.

"Yes!" the young girl replied as she ran out of the priestess's hut and into the forest. Shippo decided to aid Rin in her quest to find herbs, so he ran after her. Sango went out to the river to wet some cloths for the young woman, and Miroku went in search of some food for the woman when she awoke hungry. Everyone worked together (except InuYasha, due to being unconscious as well) to help Kaede heal the mysterious woman.

When everyone arrived back at the hut, they had all of the supplies they needed to help heal the woman. Kaede gave the medicinal herbs Rin and Shippo collected to the woman, which began to heal her right away. Meanwhile, Sango set one of the damp cloths on the woman's head to cool her down.

"What do we do now? Will she be okay?" Miroku asked as he set down the food he collected for when the woman awoke. Everyone stared at the unconscious woman (no one gave InuYasha the light of day) as she remained silent.

"She will recover quickly and be back to full health in no time. Now ye should let her rest now. We will see how she is in the morning." Kaede said as everyone began to turn their attention away from the mysterious woman. Now, all they needed to do was wait.

The recap of her previous night endlessly flowed through her mind giving her horrible nightmares. She could see it clearly, herself running through the dark forest. Running away from _them_. Those evil creatures trying to win this blood-thirsty war, it made her sick. However, she could not fight them. She couldn't take the chance; she was a valuable person that could stop this war that would only end repeat over and over. She is the only one who could stop this war.

Forever.

She slightly yawned and slowly opened her eyes, only to see seven pairs staring back at her. Not the best way to wake up.

"Eeeek!" she squealed as she bolted up, now standing on her feet. She stared at all the people that surrounded her with wide eyes. How did she get here? They don't seem that bad… Maybe she overreacted a bit. She closed her eyes and sighed, calming her racked nerves. She opened her eyes and smiled at the group of people before her. "U-uh, hello! Sorry, you all just surprised me a bit. Would you mind telling me where I am?" she said as she sat back down on the straw mat, gazing at the group in front of her.

"Oh! How rude of us! Right now you're in Kaede's village! I'm Kagome, and this is InuYasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Rin and Kaede! We helped heal you when you collapsed." Kagome said as she pointed to each person, corresponding with their name.

"Oh! Really? You didn't have to! Thank you all very much for healing me. I hope I wasn't too much of a burden." She said as she stood up and gave a bow of appreciation to the kind group that healed her.

"Nonsense, child! Ye were not a burden in the slightest! I'm just happy ye are alright." Kaede said as she smiled back at the young woman. She looked at the group and found they were all smiling back at her. Their kindness warmed her heart. She was so grateful that they healed her.

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your name, and why were you all beat up like that when we found you?" Sango asked as she stared at her curiously. This was one thing she didn't really want to answer. She didn't want to drag them into this war. This horrible war, it was awful. But they had saved her, so they deserve a honest answer. She sighed as she looked at no one in particular.

"My name is Kazuko, and I am a Celestial Being." She said as she shifted her gaze to her feet. That was something they were _not_ expecting. Demons? Sure. Humans? Everywhere. But _Celestial Beings?_ Those were very rare; they hardly ever left their home up in The Heavens. Why would one be here, of all places?

"Ye say ye are a Celestial Being? Why would ye be here?" Kaede asked, with that same expression of curiosity. Kazuko looked at the priestess and answered honestly, even though she wished she didn't have to.

"You all have likely not heard of this, but there is currently a war going on." Kazuko said as she looked over the whole group.

"A war?" InuYasha asked as he continuously stared at Kazuko, expecting further explanation.

"Yes, a war, between the Celestial Beings and the corrupt souls of the Netherworld. As we speak, my Celestial brethren are fighting the souls of the Netherworld." Kazuko stated as she continued to stare at the group, slowly taking in everything she was saying.

"If there is a war going on, why are you here?" Miroku asked as he furrowed his brow, waiting for Kazuko to continue.

"I have been sent here to stop what the souls of the Netherworld are planning. They are slowly building barriers on Earth; within each barrier is a deadly, mutant, monster that is steadily growing. Just one of those monsters is capable of completely destroying both Earth and The Heavens. I am the only one among my people who can stop this mutiny." Kazuko's expression changed to one of determination as she said the last sentence.

"Really? No wonder I have been sensing some strange demonic energy lately!" Kagome said as she turned her head to look at nothing in particular.

"Yes, this sudden change in demonic energy is due to the barriers being built. It is my duty to stop them. So, thank you all very much for saving me, I am so grateful. I now must be on my way." Kazuko said as she slowly stood up, with a look of confidence on her face.

"Whoa! Where are you going first?" Shippo asked as he gazed up at the Celestial with curiosity shining in his eyes.

"I am headed to the mountains far in the west. That is where the first barrier stands." Kazuko replied as she headed to the exit of the hut.

"The mountains in the west? Hey, can I go with you?" Rin asked excitedly as she ran up to Kazuko and grabbed her hand.

"H-huh? Why would you want to?" Kazuko asked the giddy girl holding on to her hand.

"Because on the way we'll see Lord Sesshomaru! I wanted to join back up with him! I'm tired of living with humans." Rin replied as she gave Kazuko a bright smile.

"I don't know…" Kazuko started, but was quickly interrupted by Rin once more.

"Oh! And when we find Lord Sesshomaru, you can travel with us! I'm sure he'll help you find the barriers since he isn't busy with Naraku anymore!" Rin said as she began to jump up and down in a childish manor. Kazuko couldn't help herself; this little girl was too adorable.

"Well, okay! You can come with me as long as it's alright." Kazuko said as she returned the smile and quickly glanced and Kaede.

"Ye may go with Kazuko, but be careful, both of you! If ye ever need to be healed again, come back anytime." Kaede said with a smile.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you sure about this Kazuko? You really want to travel with Sesshomaru?" InuYasha asked as he gave Kazuko a look of disapproval.

"Oh, grow up InuYasha! Sesshomaru isn't even that bad! He helped us beat Naraku remember? They'll be fine!" Kagome reassured him as she waved goodbye to Kazuko and Rin. The two happily returned the gesture as they exited the hut.

"Oh, I'm so excited! I haven't traveled with Sesshomaru in a while! We're going to have fun when we meet up with him!" Rin exclaimed as she and Kazuko happily started skipping toward the western mountains.

"You really think so?" Kazuko asked as she smiled at the little girl.

"Of course! Just you wait! We'll have loads of fun! " Rin replied as she gripped Kazuko's hand even tighter.

And so, the two head toward the western mountains in search of Lord Sesshomaru and the first barrier.

_**Author's Note: So, how did you like the first chapter? I hope you enjoyed it, I also hope you enjoy the story conflicts. I really enjoyed writing this, so I hope you enjoy reading it! I would love to know your thoughts on the story, so please feel free to rate and review! A favorite couldn't hurt either! Well, this is DimensionBaka17 signing out! Ciao!**_

_**-DimensionBaka17 **___


	2. The Lord of the West

**An Everlasting Paradise**

_**Author's Note: Hello again! I decided to post another chapter today so I can get ahead of the game! Please let me know what you think about the story! R&R! Enjoy!**_

_**I do not own InuYasha or any of its characters. I only own my OC. All rights go to their respective owners.**_

Chapter 2: The Lord of the West

The bright sun shone in the sky and brought pleasing warmth along with it. There was a refreshing breeze as Kazuko and Rin continued traveling further and further west. They talked profusely and told each other exciting stories. Kazuko told Rin all about her home in the Heavens and in return, Rin told Kazuko about the time she spent traveling with Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken. Kazuko enjoyed the stories Rin told her about Lord Sesshomaru and his advisor, Jaken. She found them to be very interesting characters. Very interesting indeed. On the other hand, Rin was very interested in Kazuko's stories about the Heavens. Then again, Rin was just about interested in _anything._ Kazuko thought Rin was such a sweet girl.

"Hey Kazuko, are we getting closer to the barrier thingy?" Rin asked as she continued to hold on to Kazuko's hand with a smile.

"Yes! I would say we're about half-way there!" Kazuko replied as she gripped the girl's hand tighter.

"That must mean we're closer to Lord Sesshomaru! I can't wait to see him." Rin said as she started to skip again.

"About that Rin, do you know where we can actually _find_ Lord Sesshomaru?" Kazuko asked as she gave the young girl a questioning look.

"Umm… Now that I think about it, no. Heehee. I'm sure he'll find us himself!" Rin reassured Kazuko as she gave her a thumbs-up, to show that everything would be fine. Kazuko laughed at Rin's gesture, which made Rin laugh too. The two had become fast friends. "Just watch, Lord Sesshomaru will show up any minute now!" Rin said as she winked at Kazuko.

As if on cue, Kazuko and Rin could here faint shouting in the distance.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Where have you gone, my Lord?" a small imp cried as he stumbled upon Kazuko and Rin. He just stared at them for a moment, and then seemed to realize that it was Rin. "Rin! What are you doing out here? And who is _that?_" he said as he pointed his long wooden staff right at Kazuko's face.

"Jaken! Don't be so rude! This is my absolute bestest friend, Kazuko! She's a _Celestial Being!_" Rin responded, putting extra emphasis on the last part because she thought it important.

"What?! You mean this mere woman is a _Celestial Being?! _How very rare! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Jaken said as he bowed in greeting to Kazuko. Kazuko wasn't very used to being fussed over, she was a little embarrassed.

"Oh, please. There is no need to be so formal! Just because I am a Celestial Being, I don't require special treatment!" Kazuko assured Jaken with a kind smile on her face as she bowed her respects.

"Oh! Such a rare species and so kind! You should learn a thing or two from this humble woman Rin!" Jaken said as he began to lecture Rin on her attitude. Kazuko watched the two with an awkward smile on her face. They seem to fight a lot, but she could tell they're like family. Kazuko really wished _she_ had some family. Just as she was about to stop the two from bickering, a rock came flying across the forest and hit Jaken square in the back of the head. Such a surprise startled Kazuko.

"Ehhh?!" she squealed as Jaken went flying right into Kazuko's stomach, which sent her tumbling down a nearby hill. She squeaked each time she bounced on the way down, which might I add, was a lot. When she finally stopped tumbling, she just stayed there on the ground as she tried to ease her aching muscles. This, of course, just led poor Rin to think she was dead.

"Jaken! Look what you did! She's DEAD!' Rin sobbed as she started to continuously punch Jaken. By this time, Lord Sesshomaru had walked up to the group and saw the odd spectacle before him. There was Rin beating the living daylights out of Jaken for "killing her absolute bestest friend", and there was some strange woman on the bottom of the hill who he assumed Rin was talking about. It took him about a millisecond to realize that the woman was not actually dead.

"Rin," he started, "Silence your noise. She is not dead." he finished as he walked up to Rin, stepping on Jaken in the process. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Really?" she asked as she tugged on his sleeve.

"Yes you impudent girl! She just went tumbling down a hill! Such an idiotic thing could not kill a Celestial Being!" Jaken stated as he glared at Rin. That caught Sesshomaru attention. Celestial Beings were a rare species that hardly ever came to Earth. Why would one be down here? Does it have something to do with the change of demonic aura?

"Celestial Being?" he asked as he silently stared at the woman slowly getting up. She dusted off her kimono and came running up the hill to reassure Rin of her safety.

"Kazuko! Are you okay?" Rin asked as she ran to the woman and gave her a tight hug. She smiled at the little girl.

"Yes, Rin. I just had a little fall. Sorry I made you think I was dead." she assured; sweat dropping as she said the last part.

"You," Sesshomaru said as he stoically stared at the Celestial, "You are a Celestial Being, correct? Why is someone like you here?" he asked as he furrowed his brow. Kazuko was a little surprised that he was actually talking to her.

"Oh! She's here because she's the only one who can save the world from the evil barrier thingies! Pretty cool, right Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin stated, answering in Kazuko's place. Sesshomaru furrowed his brow further, so he was right. She was here because of the sudden change in demonic aura.

"Really? The world rests on the shoulders of this woman? We're doomed." Jaken said blatantly as he sweat dropped. He was impressed that she was a very nice Celestial Being, but if it took her five minutes to recover from rolling down a grassy hill, things weren't looking good for Earth.

"I'm offended you don't believe in my abilities! I'm actually quite strong, despite my appearance!" Kazuko said in a bit of a huff, while she crossed her arms.

"Yeah right! It took you five minutes to recover from rolling down a grassy hill! Unless you'll be fighting fluffy rabbits and sparkling rainbows, we're doomed!" Jaken retorted as he waved his staff in Kazuko's face. Kazuko became flustered at his comment and began to blush slightly.

"H-hey! That's mean!" Kazuko shouted at Juken in a big huff. Rin then patted Kazuko on the back in a comforting way.

"It's okay, Kazuko. Jaken's just grumpy because he'll never be important enough to save the world." Rin said matter-of-factly as she stared at Kazuko. Jaken then flew into a rage, shouting nonsense until Sesshomaru shut him up with a foot to his face.

"Rin, Jaken, Celestial Being, we're leaving." Sesshomaru simply said as he began to walk further west, in the direction of the first barrier.

Jaken shot up off the ground and quickly said, "Yes, my Lord!" as he followed after Sesshomaru. Rin grabbed Kazuko's hand and hurriedly pulled her in the direction Sesshomaru was heading.

"Come on Kazuko! We don't want to keep Lord Sesshomaru waiting!" she exclaimed happily as she squeezed Kazuko's hand.

Kazuko smiled at the young girl. "Yeah, we don't want to keep him waiting." she said as she gave Rin's hand a squeeze back.

The small group traveled together until it was sunset and Rin asked Lord Sesshomaru if they could set up camp. He hesitantly agreed, he wanted to continue and get to the barrier as soon as possible, but Rin convinced him otherwise. Rin happily started a fire while Jaken had the task of collecting fire wood. Sesshomaru just leaned against a tree and seemed to be staring at nothing in particular. Kazuko wanted to be helpful too, so she decided to go out and look for food.

"Are you sure, Kazuko? I could go with you!" Rin offered as she smiled up at the Celestial. Kazuko politely shook her head no at the little girl.

"No thank you, besides, I need to prove I can fight more things besides fluffy rabbits and sparkling rainbows." Kazuko said as she gave Rin a small wink. Rin started laughing and waved goodbye to Kazuko as she went into the woods. As soon as Kazuko was out of sight, Rin ran up to Sesshomaru and tugged on his sleeve.

"Hey Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin started as she looked at the Lord.

"What is it Rin?" he replied coolly as he continued to stare at nothing of absolute interest.

Rin continued, "What do you think of Kazuko?" she asked as she sat next to Sesshomaru now. He was silent for a couple moments before he replied.

"She does not bother me." he said as he furrowed his brow. Rin sat up and looked at him again.

"Good! Because she's my bestest friend! I want you to be her bestest friend too, okay?" she said as she smiled at the Lord. And with that she ran back to the fire and plopped herself down. She hummed a little tune while she waited for her bestest friend to return, and hopefully with some food! Right when Rin thought that, Kazuko treaded back to the campsite with a full deer in her arms. Rin gaped at her as she set the dead animal down by the fire. Kazuko noticed Rin's facial expression and grew worried.

"What is it? Is something wrong? Oh, you don't like this do you? I'll just go find something else that's," Kazuko began walking towards the forest when Rin interrupted her.

"No! It's not that I don't like it! It's just that when Jaken went out to find food he never brought back something good like this! We usually always had fish!" Rin said as she flashed one of her brightest smiles yet, which warmed Kazuko's heart.

"Oh, good! I'm glad I could make you happy." Kazuko said as she took a seat next to Rin while smiling back at the girl. Kazuko loved to make Rin smile; she thought it was the cutest thing in the world. Just as the girls started talking, Jaken came back with an armload of firewood. As soon as he saw the full-sized deer, he dropped all of the firewood on the ground, his mouth hanging open.

"I guess "this woman" can handle more than fluffy rabbits and sparkling rainbows. Oh, watch out Jaken, there's a ladybug. We don't want it to mortally wound you." Kazuko said with a triumphant smile on her face. Rin was laughing so hard she started rolling on the floor. Kazuko's sly remark even made _Sesshomaru_ slightly smirk. Now _that_ was an accomplishment. Jaken looked at the woman with wide eyes, and he began to laugh as well.

"I underestimated you! You are indeed a Celestial Being!" Jaken said as he walked up to the fire and took a seat. That evening they all (except Sesshomaru) ate the deer that Kazuko caught and laughed as they relived the moment over and over again. After dinner, Rin once again ran up to Sesshomaru and asked him the same question.

"So Lord Sesshomaru, what do you think of Kazuko _now?_" she asked smiling at the Lord.

Sesshomaru ever-so-slightly smiled as he said, "She's clever. She does not bother me at all." Rin smiled at this and ran back to where Kazuko and Jaken sat at the fire. She laid herself down next to Kazuko as she settled down for the night.

"Good night, sister." Rin said as she fell asleep next to Kazuko. Kazuko was taken aback at Rin's usage of the word "sister", but she understood. She was like a sister to Rin, and Rin was like a sister to her.

"Good night, my little sister." Kazuko said as she kissed Rin's forehead and curled up next to her. Silently, they both drifted off to sleep while the fire slowly burned out.

Rin was awoken to the sound of movement at the make-shift campsite. She groggily wiped her eyes and sat up to see everyone was already awake, and ready to leave. She yawned as she stretched to awaken her muscles.

As soon as Rin was ready to leave, they all set out heading along their western route to arrive at the first barrier. They continued traveling for several hours, but Kazuko and Rin passed the time as they idly chatted about seemingly random topics until they arrived at their destination.

The small group stood in front of one of the western mountains. The entire mountain was shielded by a thick, blood-red, barrier. The demonic aura it leaked was filled with pure malice, and it sent chills down Kazuko's spine. As they all gazed up at the barrier, one thought ran through all of their minds:

"_How are we going to destroy this?"_


	3. The First Barrier

**An Everlasting Paradise**

_**Author's Note: Hello, again! This is DimensionBaka17 here; I just wanted to give a special shout-out to my first follower and favorite of this story, RandomCelebLover! I really appreciate it! Well, enjoy!**_

_**I do not own InuYasha or any of its characters. I only own my OC. All rights go to their respective owners.**_

Chapter 3: The First Barrier

The group just stood there, gawking at the horrible mass of pure malice and undeniable hatred. The horrid energy came off in waves and washed over the group every minute. Rin grabbed on to Kazuko's arm in fear, and Kazuko gave her a pat on her head to assure her safety.

"How on _Earth_ are we going to destroy this thing?!" Jaken shouted as he flailed his tiny arms in the air. Sesshomaru didn't say anything; he just stood there examining the barrier.

Kazuko took a couple steps closer, determining if it was safe. She knew what she needed to do to destroy the Netherworld monster inside, but she couldn't get there if the barrier was up. The only thing she needed to figure out was how to destroy the barrier. Just as that thought crossed her mind, she felt a familiar demonic energy closing in on their location. As soon as she turned around, she saw a familiar half-breed with the rest of his friends.

"H-huh? What are you all doing here?" Kazuko stuttered at the group. She didn't expect to see them here. InuYasha took a step forward (avoiding Sesshomaru of course) and drew his sword. It transformed to have a pure red color as he lifted it over his head. He swung as hard as he could, and within seconds the barrier dissolved. He sheathed his sword and had a confident smirk on his face. Kazuko just stood there wide eyed; he had a really strong sword!

"We just decided to follow you. You said you needed to destroy the barriers, so we thought we could be of some help this way!" Kagome said as she walked right next to InuYasha. She gave Kazuko a friendly smile, and Kazuko returned it.

"Your help was not necessary." Sesshomaru said as he slowly walked over to where the barrier had been. Kazuko turned to InuYasha and the others and thanked them for their help. She then hurriedly jogged ahead to catch up with the Lord. InuYasha and the others decided to return to Kaede's village, since their assistance was no longer needed.

"Whoa, look! It's a fortress!" Rin exclaimed and she pointed to the tall stone construction in front of her. The barrier must have been hiding this fortress, which means the monster must be inside. Kazuko clenched her hands into fists, and quickly ran inside the fortress in hope of not being seen. As she sprinted away, she left behind a very startled imp.

"Hey! Where do you think _you're_ going?!" Jaken shouted after the sprinting Celestial. She shouted her reply back, not bothering to stop.

"I'm the only one who can destroy this fortress! It's safer for all of you to wait outside! I'll be back, I promise!" and with that, the Celestial disappeared into the staggering stone tower without a second glance. Rin tugged on Sesshomaru's sleeve as she looked up at him in worry.

"You'll go after her, right Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked as she continued to look at the Lord with worry. Sesshomaru said nothing; he just started walking into the fortress himself without a single word. When Sesshomaru disappeared into the fortress as well, Rin smiled as she patted Jaken on the head.

"Now they'll definitely destroy this fortress!" she exclaimed with delight as she plopped down in the dirt, waiting patiently. Jaken just sighed and sat down next to her.

"I hope you're right." he stated as he let out another long sigh.

Inside the fortress, Kazuko silently stalked through the fortress corridors. She could feel the energy from the Netherworld monster radiating from the basement. Of course it would be underground; no one would see it that way. She furrowed her brow in concentration as she wordlessly kept to the shadows so she wouldn't be noticed. She quickly turned a sharp corner and saw a set of stairs gradually leading to the basement.

"Bingo." Kazuko whispered to herself with a slight smile on her face. She then silently started her decent down the stairs to the basement. She carefully took each step, not wanting to make noise and be discovered. When she finally reached the end of the stairs, she looked up to see a massive cocoon, leaking blood and poison. The sight made her sick to her stomach, but she knew what she knew what had to be done. She quickly made her way toward the cocoon as she unwrapped the sash from her kimono. As she stood in front of the grotesque cocoon, she began to sing.

_Come; let us forget that unwanted future. / Or we'll end up soaked in blood again. / Let the warm wind wrap around you. / That is most likely, / A sign. / Escape and break free! Escape and break free, / From a cruel fate far too sad. / You do not have to be of flower of hell. / Not in that dreadful place. / Please don't bloom there, don't bloom there. / Don't let yourself get ensnared. / Broken pieces of time fly about without a sound. / Forever, let this madness dissolve._

As Kazuko sang, she and the cocoon were enveloped in a bright, comforting light. This was what she was meant to do. She sang with a small smile on her face as she gracefully danced around the cocoon, holding up her sash. The writing and symbols on her sash began to glow a heavenly white, and when her song finished the light wrapped around the cocoon, destroying its evil intentions. Kazuko gently rewrapped the sash around her kimono with a kind smile on her face. She didn't destroy the cocoon, just changed its intentions. She didn't want to destroy it because there was a life in there, and all lives are valuable. She let out an accomplished sigh as she walked up to the cocoon. The cocoon instantly began breaking, ready to release whatever was inside. Good, she did it just in time. She watched as the cocoon slowly burst open, ejecting the creature inside. What she saw startled her.

It was a little golden kitten, which ran up to her and gave a soft 'mew'. She was a bit confused, the Netherworld wanted to fight them with _kittens?_ She picked up the soft kitten and examined it closely. It was definitely a kitten, but it had a strange aura. Still thoroughly confused, she continued to examine the kitten and didn't notice someone approach her from behind. She let out a small squeal when someone touched her shoulder. She quickly turned around to see the all too familiar stoic expression of Sesshomaru.

"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru. Wait, why are you here?" She asked as she tilted her head to left in a questioning manor. What she didn't notice was the kitten that she held copied her actions. Sesshomaru on the other hand, noticed it fairly quickly. So instead of answering, he asked a question of his own.

"Do you like cats?" he asked as his expression didn't falter, which made it a rather funny question.

"What a random question to ask! But, yeah, I guess they're cute." she replied with a small smile on her face. The kitten gave a small 'mew' in response to Sesshomaru's question as well. He then figured out where the kitten came from.

"I see. So that's why the cocoon released a kitten." he said as he stared at the remains of the cocoon.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked with a bit of confusion in her eyes. The kitten mimicked this too and said, 'mew?'

"When you sang that song, you changed the intentions of the cocoon. Instead of feeding off of evil energy, it started feeding off of your energy." he replied as he now stared at the little golden kitten that matched Kazuko's hair color perfectly.

"So what you're saying is, since it fed off of my energy instead, it released a kitten that's like me because I like cats?" she inquired, even more confused than when they started talking. He simply nodded his head in response to her question with the same stoic expression. She looked down at the little golden kitten, and it looked up at her. She then just realized what Sesshomaru had said.

"W-wait. You heard me sing?!" she asked in utter shock. She didn't really like people to hear her sing, or see her do _anything_ personal for that matter.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" he asked, slightly confused as to why she was making such a big deal out of this.

"Oh no! I'm sorry you had to hear my awful singing!" Kazuko said with a bow of apology. The tiny kitten also did a little head bow to the Lord.

"You do not need to apologize for such an idiotic reason. Besides, you sing well. You need to believe in your abilities more." Sesshomaru said as he turned and started walking away. Kazuko and the kitten just stared at him in awe. Kazuko then ran to catch up with him as she smiled.

"Oh, did the great Lord of the West just compliment me? Yay." Kazuko replied with a triumphant smile plastered on her face. The little kitten she held also gave a 'mew!' to the Lord as well.

"_Don't_ milk it." he retorted with slight irritation in his voice. Kazuko couldn't help but smile at this. She softly stroked her kitten as she spoke once more.

"Yes, my Lord." she said still smiling as she carefully set her kitten down. It eagerly pranced after the two with little 'mews' here and there. When they finally reached the entrance of the fortress, Rin excitedly ran up to the two and smiled. Her smile grew even bigger when she saw the little golden kitten that followed the two happily.

"Oooh! A kitten! It's so cute!" Rin exclaimed as she picked the little ball of fur up. She then examined it closely and said, "It looks like Kazuko." she said simply as she stared at it. Rin was a sharp kid alright.

"That's because I changed the cocoon's intentions. Instead of feeding off of evil energy, it fed off of my energy. So it released a kitten, and it looks and acts like me." Kazuko stated as she watched Rin. Kazuko wondered if Rin could absorb all of this information.

"Then we shall call it Kazuneko!" she exclaimed happily as she twirled the little kitten in the air. (*Note: "neko" means cat in Japanese, so calling the kitten Kazuneko is a play on Kazuko's name.) Kazuko only laughed at the name Rin picked for the kitten. Jaken seemed to disapprove of the kitten all together.

"No way Rin! We are _not_ keeping that thing! One Kazuko is all that I can handle!" Jaken argued in a huff. Rin and Kazuko frowned and the kitten let out a soft 'mew…'

"Jaken, leave them be." Sesshomaru said as he glared down at Jaken. Jaken immediately shut up and bowed in apology.

"Yay! We get to keep Kazuneko!" Rin squealed with joy as she snuggled with the kitten. Kazuko thought Sesshomaru would've argued against keeping Kazuneko because he was a dog demon after all, but Kazuko brushed it off. Maybe she was just being stereotypical. Kazuko smiled as she watched Rin snuggle with Kazuneko. Her thoughts were interrupted when Rin asked her a question.

"Hey Kazuko, where is the next barrier?" Rin asked curiously as she continued to snuggle with Kazuneko. Kazuko closed her eyes and tried to pinpoint the next barrier by its unique aura. Kazuko opened her eyes and smiled.

"The next barrier is located near the ocean in the southern lands." Kazuko replied as she gently took Kazuneko from Rin's grasp. Rin started jumping up and down in delight.

"Yay! The ocean! I want to go swimming!" Rin eagerly smiled as she ran over to Jaken and started talking about the ocean with him. Kazuko smiled kindly as she watched the two now bickering whether they would go swimming or not. She was brought back to her senses when she heard Sesshomaru speak.

"Come, we're leaving." he said in his usual stoic manor. Rin, Jaken, Kazuko, and Kazuneko happily willingly followed the Lord as they headed to the south. What they didn't realize was someone watched them leave the fortress and smirked.

"Interesting. That girl is a powerful foe indeed. I'll dispose of her properly later." the icy cold voice whispered with a deadly smirk still present on their face. With that, they vanished into nothing.

_**Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter! I'll make the next one longer I promise! Please rate and review, I would love to know your thoughts on my story so far! Oh, and the song that Kazuko sang was the second opening song to Higurashi! So I DO NOT OWN IT! I just liked the lyrics! I might have changed them too, because I did it from memory. Well, until next time! (I'll probably upload another chapter later today.) Ciao!**_

_**-DimensionBaka17 **_


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